Artificial Transformation of O Antigens in Salmonella E Group. IV

Strains of subgroup E3 of Salmonella E group were cultured through serial passages in media containing respectively the lysogenic epsilon phage derived from subgroup E2, anti-I, XIX serum, and both the phage and the antiserum, and antigen transformation was attempted with the following results.S. senftenberg 3007 was transformed, as reported by Uetake et al.3) into a strain with antigens I, III, XV, and XIX, only when cultured in a medium which contained both the ε phage and the anti-I, XIX serum. S. senftenberg Kubota, however, was similarly transformed by successive passages in a medium which contained only the phage. And all the strains which came to have antigen of subgroup E2 besides that of E3 became lysogenic, and when cultured successively in a medium to which was added anti-XV serum containing the phage antibody, they lost the antigen XV together with phage, thus a strain with antigen I, III, XIX being obtained.It was hard for S. simsbury LL 309-1 and S. taksony to be infected with the ε phage from subgroup E2 and to become lysogenic. Consequently, antigen transformation did not occur in these strain.